As an introduction to Quake, the first level of episode one is easy to beat. There are few enemies, and they're not difficult to obliterate. Unless you're playing on the Hard or Nightmare skill setting, the likelihood of dying is almost nil. You'll have little trouble uncovering three or four of the secrets. In case you do come up short, here's where to find all of the level's secrets:

Secret Area 1
When you enter the level,you'll see a pair of raised platforms - one on each side of the room. The platform on the right contains a secret panel which , when struck or shot, slides away to reveal a case of shotgun shells.

Now cross to the other side of the room and get onto the lower-ledge of the platform (to the left of the door). Use a running jump to reach the platform on the other side. Take the shells and armor, then leave through the door. Trigger the button at the end of the corridor. An elevator takes you outside. Destroy the grunt and guard dog team that's waiting for you. If you're suffering damage, pick up a few of the health kits that are lying around.

Jump onto this platform and shoot the panel on the end (the gun is pointing at the secret panel).

This hefty health bonus doesn't last long. Get back into battle before it wears off.

Secret Area 2
Rather than go directly through the door on the other side of the bridge, take a refreshing plunge in the river. Follow the underwater course (you can only go in one direction) and you'll soon encounter a platform bearing a 100 health bonus. The door, however, is locked. To unlock it, you must enter from the other side (at the end of the level). By that point, however, the only reason to go through the door is if you skipped the river exploration.

Now keep following the river until you reach a dead end. Triggering the button there takes you back into the first room of this level. Retrace your steps, going back down the elevator and across the bridge. Enter the doorway, and prepare to defend yourself. If you shoot the barrel of toxic waste (dead ahead), the explosion usually takes out one or more enemies.

This * must have more than just an anti-glare coating. Bullets just bounce off it.

This odd item is a quad damage power-up. For as long as it lasts, every enemy you hit receives four times the normal damage.

Secret Area 3
After clearing the area of bad guys, go to the right. You'll see a lone column in the middle of the area. Walk past the column until you're up against the wall, turn around, raise your gunsight, and shoot the monitor near the top of the column. Hitting it triggers an elevator that carries you to a ledge above the room. Shoot the monitor that's on the ledge to reveal a Quad Damage power-up. Grab it, and hop down off the ledge.

Secret Area 4
Round the corner, and tackle the enemies on the far side of the chasm. After they're dead, you can trigger the button to roll out a platform that covers the green ooze below. Step onto the platform and turn to your left. Shooting the red target in the center of the wall releases a secret panel to the left. Behind it is a double-barreled shotgun.

Shooting this target...

…opens this secret panel.

If you look toward the previous room, you'll note a red up-arrow. Step onto the platform to go up to the next level. (If you see or hear a guard dog up there, though, you may want to blow it away while you're still at ground level.) Follow the walkway to retrieve a nail gun. After eliminating the guard, jump up to snatch the crate of nails. (You can't jump all the way up to the platform, but touching the crate is sufficient to take the nails.) Now return to ground level by stepping off the walkway.

Secret Area 5
As you continue exploring, you'll pass three buttons - one at each corner you turn. After you've touched all three (and destroyed the grunts you met along the way), the lights come on. You'll notice a large green ooze pond to your left. If you turn right at the bottom of this section of walkway, you'll discover a biosuit. Put it on, cross to the other side of the walkway, and jump over the side into the ooze.

This platform holds several health kits and some new armor. After grabbing the goodies, exit through the teleporter.

Getting this megahealth can be very dangerous. It's easy to land in the ooze by mistake. But the excess health comes in handy for the final set of enemies ahead.

The biosuit won't protect you long. If you just want to get out, you can jump up at the spot marked by red arrows. If you want to find the secret, however, continue exploring until you see a new corridor that branches off from the main section of the pond. Run down it until you reach the end, then jump out of the hole.

If your health points aren't at 100, now would be a good time to go back and pick up a few health kits that you previously skipped.

The final secret secret area is another 100 health. Go back to the third button on the sloping walkway. Jump up onto the ledge, then onto the light, then onto the button. Straight ahead is the 100 health. Beneath it are several steps jutting from the wall. Take a running jump from the button to the right-hand step. Jump up the steps, retrieve the health, then jump back onto the walkway.